When Sin is in the House

Micah 6:14-16

What happens to a Nation, a family, a Church that allows sin to be a part of it?  It has been correctly stated that God has placed in everyone a God shaped vacuum that only He can fill, and yet from the beginning the enemy of our soul has told us that his plan is better than God’s.  The apostle Paul gives this testimony about the Israelites, and I believe it also to be the testimony of many in and out of the Church.  “Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:1-4 ESV)   Could we once more be repeating history as the people of Micah’s time did, allowing evil acts and actions to invade our minds and hearts?  The people of Micah’s time were anything but just in their economic dealing with people, look at Micah 2:1-2.  And the people of Micah’s time were not into mercy, as you can see in Micah 2:8-9, nor were they humble, in fact they were law breakers and seemed to be proud of being such, as seen in Micah 2:2-3.

So Micah said this is God’s requirement: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV)  Nowhere do we find in Scripture that those requirements have changed, and if they have not changed then the way God deals with a people who believe they can live independent of God not have changed.  In Micah 6:10-13 the Lord tells Micah, I’ve had enough, and now I’m bringing judgment.  Read and ponder the judgment of these people and ask the question, is that happening to me?  Often people who claim the name of Christ will tell you they just have bad luck, but it is clear that in God’s economy there is no such thing as luck, but there is blessing and curses. 

The following are the curses: “           Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins.  You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword. You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine. (Micah 6:13-15 ESV)

At no time in history have there been more people who are not satisfied, many live in fear of government, and what that government is about to do, others only want what others have and believe they deserve better, but there are not desires of earning or working toward that goal.  Many who are working hard seem to always have some surprise that takes what they have worked for.  Is this the judgment of the Lord?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice